Road Trippin'
by superstr480
Summary: Not a song-fic. Sort of a semi-sequel to Notification Posted. Syd, Vaughn, Will and Francie are let loose in Vegas... and the surprises just keep on coming! Chap 2 now up! Just a bit of non-angsty fun , tell me if I should continue.
1. Here We Come

Title: Road Trippin'  
Author: Annie  
Rating: PG- not even. Just being safe.  
Timeline: Kind of AU. Pretend Phase One happened and everything else happened, but Francie's still.. well herself.   
Summary: Not a song fic. Sort of a semi-sequel to Notification Posted  
Disclaimer: I seriously own nothing. Like seriously. You wouldn't believe.  
Distribution: I'd be more than honored to have this anywhere. Just drop me a note.  
Genre:   
Author's Note: I guess if you've read "Notification Posted", you can think of this as a sequel cos yeah Will and Francie are living together as are Syd and Vaughn who are engaged. I didn't write it like that, but I do mention some of the stuff. But just pretend the hunt for Sloane, Sark and Irina doesn't exist in this story, I just wanted some happy moments, with "Real Francie". Cos I really miss her and I think she'd get a kick out of Vaughn. And cos it was criminal for JJ to kill her off just when she and Will had it going perfect. after that finale... wow, did i need uplifiting. In fact, sometimes i dread reading post-"telling" stories cos I know how angst-y they're gonna be. Vaughn married... unless his wife bears an eerily exact resemblance to... well, me, then JJ better fix it. and oh this is IMPORTANT: Francie knows the half-truth about their jobs. Like she knows they work for CIA as more than just financial consultants, but she gets no details about missions from any of them.   
  
He made a funny noise as he dozed. He never snored before, or I'd been too tired to ever notice it. I'd made him prop his foot up on the door, while he leaned into me. I knew that even though I'd made him bring his crutches, once we got to the hotel he'd never stay off his foot.   
  
"Sydney, can't you shut him up somehow? He's disturbing the music," Will complained. He was just angry because Vaughn- thanks to painkillers galore- had dozed off in the middle of a heated debate between Francie and I and Will and him on why hockey should not have its own channel. Needless to say who was on who's side of course. The music he was referring was his own mix. Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Incubus, and one Elvis song which Will said was too perfect. As soon as we'd pulled out of the driveway, at 6:30 in the morning, Will had blasted "Viva Las Vegas". Vaughn, after a sleepless night thanks to too much bedrest, had tried to climb out the window. Francie had claimed she would never kiss him again if he didn't turn off the music. I had just enjoyed the scene.   
  
Vaughn had broken his leg on a mission a month ago. He had worked from the hospital, where he had been held under direct orders from Dad to remain in the hospital, but he wasn't able to do much. He had complained so much about missing work, that finally after two painful weeks of seperation and complaining, Vaughn had been allowed to come home and go to work, given that he used crutches all the time until he was healed. Vaughn complained, saying that he didn't want to stay on crutches for three more weeks, but Dad put his foot down. He'd actually been quite worried about Vaughn when he'd gotten injured, and I had the pleasure of seeing him worry. As horrible as that sounds, it was nice in retrospect because I realized that his worry wasn't just about a mission or a fallen agent. It was about losing the man his daughter loved, it was about losing his future son-in-law. It was about losing a man he'd come to respect, and perhaps even love, and most certainly accepted as a part of his small but close family. At any rate, out of concern or just the natural ability to command authority, Dad was unrelenting to Vaughn saying that he'd have to wear crutches or he wouldn't be able to come to work or go home to his fiance. Vaughn agreed less grudgingly than I thought he would, and after two weeks in the hospital, he finally came home.  
  
And perhaps that had been the worst thing for him, because less than twelve hours later, he'd wound up back in the hospital. Why? Because he'd sprained his wrist-- not seriously, thank god-- when he fell off the bed. How had he fallen off the bed? Let's just say I hadn't had my fiance alone in the house in two weeks and I missed him. Very much.  
  
He'd managed to hide the wrist from Dad for two weeks, until he spotted it two days ago. Immediately, he sent Vaughn packing. Off on a two week vacation, that is. And he told me I should take off too. So we gathered Francie and Will and planned for a road trip to Vegas. Which leads me back to my gorgeous, but funnily snoring boyfriend, pumped full of painkillers for both a broken leg and sprained wrist. Who had just woken up.  
  
"Ah, you're up Mr. Glass," Francie said, giggling. Vaughn made a face.   
  
"You know there's only so much weight one wrist can support!" Vaughn said, looking at me. I could feel the blood rushing to my face. Did I mention that when Vaughn had fallen he'd tried to catch himself on his wrist, and would have been fine, except that I... well I uh fell on top of him? "How far are we from our hotel?" He rubbed his eyes like a child, grinned up at me and kissed my cheek before resting back into his position.  
  
"Far enough that I can play my CD four more times over, as punishment," Will said, wryly. Vaughn made a face.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep man. You try keeping awake with these many painkillers," Vaughn replied.  
  
"You were up making noise all last night!" Will complained. Francie and Will's place had roaches, so while it was being fumigated, they were staying at Vaughn's and my place.   
  
"I'm not going to argue with you again about this. I said I was sorry," Vaughn shot back.  
  
"God you two argue like women," Francie said, dryly. I laughed. Vaughn and Will were actually shared a tight friendship nowadays, but when they argue... Francie hit it on the head, they brought the house down. Luckily, they don't argue that often. More than Will and Vaughn's friendship-- I'd seen those beginnings when Vaughn had hired him off the books-- was Francie and Vaughn's friendship. From the minute I introduced them, two days after SD-6 takedown and our first kiss, the two had gotten along as thick as thieves. I swear to God, sometimes I think that both Will and I were more awkward in the start of our relationships with Vaughn than Francie was.   
  
"At least someone picks up that role," Vaughn muttered.  
  
"Hey are you saying that we're not feminine?" Francie asked. "Syd, I'd get ready to break another bone." I smiled.  
  
"Well, no. Sydney more able to fight than either Will and I--"  
  
"Training," I reminded him.   
  
"But still," he said, shrugging.  
  
"What about me?" Francie asked. Vaughn sexily raised an eyebrow. I mean he did it automatically, it's just sexy to me.  
  
"Er... you're kind of... " Vaughn struggled. He and Francie always joked around, but I could tell he was deathly afraid of insulting her. I would be too.  
  
"Spit it out, Mike," she said, but she had a teasing grin, that obviously reassured Vaughn as his brow unfurrowed and he smiled.  
  
"Dominating?" he tried.   
  
"What?" Will asked, turning around to stare at him.  
  
"What?" Vaughn asked, defensively. Why was that so strange? Francie was dominating, a kind of take-charge type person...  
  
"Oh my god, Will! I think he meant Francie can be on the overbearing side!" I said. Vaughn made a face, realizing what Will thought he meant and Francie frowned.  
  
"I am not overbearing!" she exclaimed. Vaughn let out snort. I laughed.  
  
"Yeah Fran, you are," I said.  
  
"No, I'm realy not! I'm... zealous!" Vaughn let out another snort.  
  
"Yeah to the point that you become overbearing," Vaughn said.  
  
"You guys, I'm not like that," she protested. I gave her a look.  
  
"Fran, the first time you met Vaughn, you wouldn't let him spend the night," I reminded her. It's true. She had met him and we had a relaxed dinner at home. She'd gone into her room to leave us alone for awhile, but at around midnight she came back out into the living room and hadn't left until Vaughn had.   
  
"Well, because I thought it was like your second date with him! And you don't sleep with someone on the second date!" she argued. "You hadn't told me that you'd known him for so long!"  
  
"But still, wasn't that kind of my decision?" I asked. Francie made a face, and as she turned I realized she was resorting to her last defense.  
  
"Will, am I overbearing?" she asked, poutily.   
  
"Err," Will spluttered. "Don't you know it's bad to distract a driver by asking questions?"  
  
"Especially ones with answers of potentially deadly natures," Vaughn said.  
  
"Yeah!" Will asserted, before realizing his mistake. "Er..." Yeah. Will could play that damn CD twelve more times, and this would sitll be the best car ride. Ever.   
  
Vegas, here we come.   
  
TBC 


	2. Splashing off into the Sunset

Title: Road Trippin'  
Author: Annie  
Rating: PG- not even. Just being safe.  
Timeline: Kind of AU. Pretend Phase One happened and everything else happened, but Francie's still.. well herself.   
Summary: Not a song fic. Sort of a semi-sequel to Notification Posted  
Disclaimer: I seriously own nothing. Like seriously. You wouldn't believe.  
Distribution: I'd be more than honored to have this anywhere. Just drop me a note.  
Feedback: I have a bunch of this story done... please tell me if I should continue. It' s just a break from the angsty-ness.  
Genre: just fun  
Author's note: A lil suspension of belief for their hotel. Yeah, they're staying at the Bellagio which is one of the most amazing hotels/ casinos in Vegas (see Ocean's 11). I'm not even sure if it IS a hotel as well as a casino, but just pretend it is (thanks) and that the four of them just decided to splurge. God knows, they never seem to. Also, I have to idea what Francie's restaurant is called, so I named it. One other thing: I'm posting this chapter really soon after I posted the first one. Thank you to all the people who reviewed, but I (not to sound fussy) was kinda dissappointed at the number. To the people that did review, you guys are amazing, thank you. But, with the exception of those people, it'd be really nice to have a few more people review to know that more than four people (despite how great those four people are) are reading my stuff and enjoying.. or even not enjoying it. And to anyone who wants to archive this anywhere please do. The more distribution, the better. You don't need to ask for permission, just leave a note saying where it's at. Thanks once again to everyone who reviewed and I hope you like this chapter.   
  
****************  
We had been at the hotel for about two days, when the... well 'incident' happened. Well the first one, at least. Little did I know thay by the end of those two weeks, we'd have more incidents than we'd ever thought. And out of all of them, this one, by far, was the most pleasant.   
  
It had been the third morning, and we'd finally made it down from our rooms early enough for the amazing breakfast the Bellagio provided. The hotel itself had reinvented the concept of luxury. In fact, everything was so great that I was tempted to put an "amazing" before everything I said about it. Amazing decor-- with easy access to the casinos, Amazing food-- there were twelve restaurants in the hotel alone, Amazing rooms-- Fran and Will's room was right next to Vaughn and mine. I think this getaway had been good for them but I wouldn't have known since we hadn't seen much of each other for the past two days-- I guess they were admiring their Amazing company just like I was.   
  
But now we were enjoying all of our company, and the four of us were just relaxing.  
  
"Eric is going to be so jealous," Vaughn said, haughtily. He was munching on toast with his free hand, since it was one of the few things he could eat one-handed and he refused to be fed.  
  
"Everybody's going to be so jealous," Will commented. I was just about to add my own comment, when a stranger approached our table.  
  
"I'm sorry to interrupt your breakfast," the stranger began. Amazing breakfast, I thought silently.   
  
"Do we know you?" Vaughn asked, politely but cautiously. I realized he was worried about someone following us, and he wasn't in any shape to protect himself either.  
  
"Uh, no. But I know you," she said, looking at Francie. "Francine Calfo, owner of the Sunset Boulevard right?"   
  
"Yeah. How do you know that?" she asked, suspiciously.   
  
"I've been there. In fact, I met you a couple weeks ago," the lady replied. She looked normal enough, about late-30's, fashionably dressed.  
  
"Oh I'm sorry, you know we have a lot of customers, and I'm really bad with faces..." Francie apologized.  
  
"No no, I completely understand. But I loved your restaurant. And you wouldn't believe it but I've just gotten the chance to open my own. And I was wondering... if maybe you'd want to extend it. To an outlet in Vegas," she said. Francie sat open jawed.  
  
"What?" she asked, breathlessly.  
  
"I know I'm springing this on you. But if you could meet with me... I could show you what I have in mind, before you leave Vegas," she said. Francie nodded, and they quickly made arrangements to meet this afternoon.   
  
"Oh my god. You guys?" Francie looked at us, questioningly after the woman had walked away. Vaughn leaned over and pinched her. "Ow! Mike!"  
  
"Well we know you're not dreaming. I was just making sure you knew," he said, a teasing, mischevious grin on his face. Francie shook her head.  
  
"Thanks," she said, dryly.  
  
"Anytime," he shot back. She grinned.  
  
"You guys! This is amazing!" she said. Will nodded.  
  
"Yeah, baby, this is," he said, kissing her.   
  
And it was. This vacation just seemed to be getting better and better.   
  
**********  
It turns out, as Francie told us later that night, the lady, Julia Troy, was totally perfect. She had been a stay-at-home mom but now that her kids were getting older, she didn't need to be around the house. She'd been in the restaurant business before she'd had her kids, and she was just itching to open her own. She had visited Fran's restaurant while-- coincidentally-- on a trip very much like ours to LA, and she'd loved it. She was at the Bellagio applying to be manager here, and was about to turn down the offer for her own restaurant, when she'd recognized Francie.  
  
"She said it was sign," Francie had gushed. "A sign saying that she should make a restaurant, one and I quote 'as amazing as mine'." Francie normally wide grin had just grown bigger as she talked to me.   
  
"So you think it'll work?" I asked. Francie nodded enthusiastically.  
  
"Definitely. For now, we're treating them like two independent restaurants that are identical in decor and menu, but once it gets running we'll talk about treating them like the beginning of a chain," she said. She was glowing, literally, because of her bright eyes and electric grin, and it was extremely contagious.   
  
"We are definitely celebrating tonight," I said, happily.  
  
"Yeah, as soon as the guys show up. Where are they anyway?" she said. Will and Vaughn had disappeared sometime just before Francie had got done with Julia, and now, nearly two hours later, they were still nowhere in sight.  
  
But I barely noticed, because I was still hanging on to something Francie had said. "The guys" was what she had called Will and Vaughn. And in that moment, I had realized that was what they were. The guys, Francie and my boyfriends, our now mutual friends. I finally could tell Francie everything I had wanted to all this time, and we finally had that tight friendship I'd longed for all those years at SD-6. I was marrying Vaughn in a few months, I was going to start calling him by his first name by that time, I swear, and I had my life back. It didn't matter where Sloane, my mother or Sark were-- because I had beaten them all. I was happy, and that defied their attempts to make me miserable.  
  
"Miss Calfo?" a bellboy appeared by the couches we were sitting on in the lobby, having coffee.  
  
"Yes?" Francie asked, looking up.  
  
"You've been requested to go up to your room, by a Will Tippin and a Michael Vaughn," he said, and disappeared before Francie could ask questions. Francie looked at me, questioningly as we got up and made our way to the elevators. I shrugged.  
  
"At least we know the guys aren't in trouble," I said. Francie looked at me.  
  
"They're not coming down to the lobby, where they know we're at. You still think they're not in trouble?" Francie said. I laughed, and shrugged.  
  
'Vaughn can take care of himself," I said, not realizing the fallacy in my words.  
  
"Oh yes, plaster casts that you can't really move in make ample weapons," she said. I giggled. "By the way, when are going to start calling your fiance by his first name? Michael is a very nice name, y'know." I cringed.  
  
"You know what they say about old habits dying hard?" I asked. Francie nodded. "Well this isn't a habit. It's... I don't know. It's the way things are with me and him."  
  
"Were with him, honey. 'Vaughn' might be all good and fine when you have a crush on him, or both of you are secretly in love with each other and can't do anything about it. But now you're together, you're getting married to this man. He's not Vaughn anymore, Syd. And maybe he doesn't say it, or even show it, but the longer he's Vaughn, the less normality you're giving your relationship. He's Michael to you, you really just got to start calling him that," she sid. I stared dumbfoundedly. When did Francie become so wise?  
  
"Oprah and Dr. Phil look out. Francie Calfo is in," I muttered. She grinned, and we stopped outside her door as she fished for key card.  
  
"Let's see what trouble Will has gotten in and what bone Mike has broken," she said. I laughed, and walked in. Francie gasped, as we were assaulted with two of the biggest bouqets I'd ever seen and a gift hamper.  
  
"Oh my god," she said. She rushed over to the flowers and tore the cards off both of them and the hamper. "This one is from Will! And the hamper is from Will, too! And the other bouqet is from..." she trailed off as she pulled the card and read it.  
  
"Who?" I asked.  
  
"It's from Mike. 'To littering the world with Sunset Boulevards'," she read, beaming.  
  
"Wow. Hold on let me disappear and get you something," I said. Francie laughed.  
  
"I don't need anything from you Syd. It's just nice to have you back," she said, beaming and pulling me into a hug. It's nice to have you to, Fran. " The card says to meet them for dinner at 7."  
**********  
We found ourselves relaxing at the pool the next day, just Vaughn and I, despite the fact that he wasn't allowed in the water. Francie was meeting with Julia again, and Will was in his room, napping. I had dragged Vaughn down to the pool because I didn't want to come alone, but as I quickly found out, since he couldn't swim, he wasn't the least interested at being down here.   
  
"Syd," he murmured, nuzzling my shoulder. "You don't want to go swimming. You want to come up, maybe break one of your bones for a change." I giggled.  
  
"You're just jealous you don't get to go near a pool for awhile," I replied.  
  
"Or I just want to get you upstairs," he said, standing up and hobbling, sexy nonetheless. He walked along the pool side, trailing his good foot in the cool water, before turning around and shooting me a smile. All of a sudden, I heard a voice from behind me that I thought was too much a coincidence to be true.  
  
"Rita?"  
  
"Alice?"  
  
"Michael?"  
  
Splash.   
  
Vaughn, broken leg, plaster cast and bandaged wrist was in the pool. And I'm sure the expression on his face matched mine perfectly. 


	3. An Elephant, A Rabbit & A Sexy, Wet Man

Title: Road Trippin'  
  
Author: Annie  
  
Rating: PG- not even. Just being safe.  
  
Timeline: Kind of AU. Pretend Phase One happened and everything else happened, but Francie's still.. well herself.   
  
Summary: Not a song fic. Sort of a semi-sequel to Notification Posted  
  
Disclaimer: I seriously own nothing. Like seriously. You wouldn't believe.  
  
Distribution: I'd be more than honored to have this anywhere. Just drop me a note.  
  
Feedback: I have a bunch of this story done... please tell me if I should continue. It' s just a break from the angsty-ness.  
  
Genre: just fun  
  
Author's Note: Okay not much of a note for this one. It might take me a few days to update this story, but it's not like a great, suspenseful story anyway. As I've been saying, just something shallow, meaningless fun that we all deserve to not DRIVE OURSELVES CRAZY in wating for the season three premiere. Anyway, have fun reading this (I hope), and as always... reviews would be sweeter than candy (but not as sweet as MV).   
  
"Alice?"  
  
"Michael?"  
  
Splash.   
  
Vaughn, broken leg, plaster cast and bandaged wrist was in the pool. And I'm sure the expression on his face matched mine perfectly.  
  
***********  
  
"Sir are you okay?" a bellboy rushed forward, followed by several others. They proceeded to haul Vaughn out of the pool. He was scarlet red, but hadn't taken his eyes off Alice or lifted his jaw off the ground. I turned to look at the woman I once thought had come between Vaughn and I. She looked much better than the two times I had seen her. Granted, I hadn't seen her in eight months and the first I saw her, we thought Vaughn was dying and the second time her father had died, but she looked good now. Her hair was grown out and reached her shoulders where it curled perfectly. She was wearing a beautiful summer dress that brought her eyes and accentuated her petiteness. God, she was tiny. She was making me feel like an elephant. Like a tall elephant. She was looking at me... well she was looking me like she had just figured out that her boyfriend had an affair. Which is technically not true.   
  
That boyfriend had finally come out of the pool, so now he stood right in the middle of the ten feet that seperated Alice and I. And he was staring like I was.  
  
"Wow. I didn't think I'd see you here," he said, croakily. He shook his head slightly, causing drops of water to fall. I let myself, for a moment, appreciate how good he looked, soaked to the bone. His shirt was clinging to his back and abdomen, outlining the lean muscle that was under it. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing, causing it to stick up in all odd directions, making him look even sexier... oops. Getting carried away Sydney. "Never in a million years and all possibilities did I think I'd see you here." He offered her a lopsided smile and she returned it. She looked at me and then back at him.  
  
"So... you're here. With Rita," she said, looking from me back to him.   
  
"Um, yeah. I'm here. With Rita. Uh Alice, this seems like.." Vaughn began.  
  
"It doesn't seem like anything, Michael," she cut him off, but she didn't look angry. "I trust you and you told me everything when we broke up. I'm just assuming... Rita is her." Vaughn told Alice everything? About me?  
  
"Vaughn's mentioned me?" I squeaked. Vaughn shot me a warning look and two seconds later I realized why.  
  
"Vaughn?" Alice said, wrinkling her nose God she was like a rabbit. And I was an elephant. Not fat, not uglier... but just bigger. God she was tiny. Damn her and her rabbity-ness. "You call Michael, 'Vaughn'?"  
  
"Er... it's just a work thing, Al. Lots of people at work call me Vaughn," he said. The nose stayed wrinkled and I, as a woman I suppose, understood why. How many women call their boyfriends-- fiances, not that "Al" would be informed of that-- by their last name?  
  
"Yeah, it's a force of habit. He's asked to call him Michael-" Vaughn's mouth turned upwards when I mentioned that "but I haven't been able to break the habit. It's hard you know... I mean you know some one as something. It's not like he ever had to adjust, I was just always Sydney or Syd..."  
  
I'm a big idiot. A big, big, big idiot.  
  
"Sydney? I thought your name was Rita," she asked. Vaughn turned his head in my direction quickly, spraying water everywhere, before doing it once again, turning back to Alice. Urgh. Uh oh. Crap. Dammit. Take your pick of deprecating word. If anyone wanted me to botch a mission, they should bring me to Vegas because obviously all my abilities went out the window the minute I got here.  
  
Or it could have been the minute Vaughn closed the door to our room last night and... uh oh. Getting carried away. I suddenly had the intense desire to return to the conversation Vaughn and I were having before Alice showed up, but somehow have it orchestrated so that Vaughn had still fallen in that pool. Despite the fact that he was in a LOT of trouble for getting his cast wet. Focus, Syd, focus. Luckily, Vaughn still proved the Agency proud.   
  
"Her middle name is Sydney. Everyone at the office just calls her Rita if we're formally at a meeting or something," Vaughn- Michael said quickly. Alice nodded, taking it all in.  
  
"Umm okay," Alice said. She smiled quickly, and I thought I saw Vaughn relax. He offered once of his warmest smiles-- the ones I always recieved. Was it wrong for me to get a little worried about the knee-weakening smiles my boyfriend- fiance!- was giving his ex-girlfriend? Most definitely a legitimate source of worry.  
  
"We should spend some time together, Al," Vaughn said. Whoa. Where did that come from? "Are you here with someone?" What?!  
  
"Yeah I am," she sad, fidgetting slightly. "I'm getting married Michael. In three weeks." Whoa. Did Alice have something on the side while she was with Vaughn... god that's cheap... I mean really, why would you do that when you have a guy like Vaughn... never mind. I didn't say anything. And I'm not thinking of Noah. Vaughn, however, was smiling from ear to ear. He went forward to hug her but stopped when she backed away, looking at his soaked clothing warily. They both shared a laugh.  
  
"That's great, Al, that's just amazing," he said genuinely. "If he's here, as I said... we should spend some time together. The four of us, out to dinner. Actually it'd be the six of us, Syd-- uh Rita uh, and I are here with friends." Alice grinned back at him.  
  
"We're leaving in about half an hour actually. But there's an invitation in the mail, Mike. You'll bring Rita-- sorry Sydney, won't you?" she said, shooting me a warm smile. He nodded enthusiastically. She made a move to leave, but then stopped. "What the hell." With that, she launched herself into "Mike" 's arms. He grinned, hugged her back. Both of them laughed as the front of her dress got wet too.  
  
"Hey that's what you get for making me fall," he said.  
  
"I hardly made you fall. You obviously have lost your motor skills," she said, eyeing the cast and bandage. Vaughn blushed.  
  
"Hazards of the job," he muttered. Alice smiled, understanding something I couldn't, and she pulled out of the hug and walking away.  
  
"It was nice meeting you, erm... Sydney. I hope you guys are really happy," she said, giving me a genuine smile. She clasped my hand to squeeze it, looked down at the metal that was touching her skin. Her eyes widened. "Are you engaged? To Mike?" My face must have froze in shock, but I managed to recover.  
  
"Yeah. I am," I said, meekly. Alice's smile widened.  
  
"You guys didn't say anything? Oh my god, you should have said something! When is the wedding?" she aked, excitedly.  
  
"August," he said, eyes twinkling. Alice's smile widened, as mine did, seeing Vaughn as happy as he looked then. I pushed that out of my mind, however, for more suspicious- for the lack of a better word- thoughts of how Vaughn and Alice could be so comfortable with each other. "And we haven't mailed out invitations, but you will definitely get one. And you'll have to bring--"  
  
"Patrick. Patrick Keller," she said. He grinned.  
  
"Well, now I'll know to make the invitation out to Mr. and Mrs. Alice and Patrick Keller," he said, with a glib smile. Alice nodded.  
  
"I really do have to go, Patrick's waiting for me. I'll see you guys in three weeks," she said. She turned to me. "Congratulations. Keep him happy"-- she turned and shot Vaughn a look-- "and try and not let him drive you crazy." I smiled back, a little dazed and amazed at how genuine Alice was at seeing her old boyfriend and his new girlfriend- fiance! Dammit I have to get used to calling us that. She turned around. "I'll see you at the wedding, Mikey." He grinned and blushed at the nickname.  
  
"Wow..." Vaughn began, but for some reason I didn't want to rehash what had really been a very pleasant visit from Alice.  
  
"We better get your cast checked up. Let's go get Will and Francie," I said. Vaughn frowned momentarily, but brushed aside his thoughts and grabbed my hand as we went to find them.  
  
********  
  
The hotel medic had just left our room, giving Vaughn the assurance that his cast would be fine, granted that he didn't give it anymore chlorine baths. When the doctor had asked how Vaughn had gotten it wet, he'd blushed furiously and said, "Let's just say, I scare easy." He and the doctor had shared a laugh over that, and I had feigned amusement.   
  
But inside, our encounter with Alice had still left me... unsettled. It wasn't that I didn't want Vaughn to see her again. In fact, I thought it was great. It was evident that whatever happened, they had a strong friendship-- something that Vaughn and I, too, had before our involvement as well-- that had survived, and I was overjoyed at the interaction. Those feelings that I had during that encounter, those ill feelings that were still there, weren't jealousy, not even a little bit. I could never doubt Vaughn's devotion to me. But there... was just something. I didn't know what it was.   
  
I felt better-- let's call it temporary relievance-- two seconds later. But it could have something to do with a pair of sexy, half-French lips that were tracing the crook of her neck.  
  
"What have you been thinking about this whole time, Syd?" he murmured softly. I pulled away suddenly, regretting that move two miliseconds later, shocked at how well he knew me.  
  
"What do you mean?" I asked. He shot me a wry look, before nuzzling my neck again and slipping his arms around me.  
  
"You barely said a word to the doctor. You were sitting in silence, giving fake smiles or forced laughs. Is something wrong?" he asked. I shrugged, not wanting to make him feel bad about such a great reunion, but knowing that he'd force it out of me eventually.  
  
"I just... I don't know. Alice. She kind of shook me up, I guess," I admitted. He frowned.  
  
"You're not... jealous, Syd," he said. He started the statement confidently, pronounced 'jealous' like a question, and then returned to his previous tone. "You can't be jealous." he said it firmly, which made me wonder whether he just saw me as perfect or if he had some secret knowledge. At my inquiring expression, he went on. "Sydney, I've not even thought about another woman since... I don't know how long. There's no way you actually doubt that I would actually think of Alice as..."  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"No, it's not that. But seeing you and Alice so friendly... I'm glad you're getting to reclaim your old relationship with her. That you haven't lost someone because of me. I know we've given up a lot, risked a lot for each other, and it's all worth it, but it's nice to know that..." I trailed off, not knowing how to put into words. He nodded, understanding.  
  
"We gave up a lot. And there are so many ways that things could have gone down differently," he said. I nodded, wondering where he was going. "When you see someone or reconnect with something from the past, and it goes well... it re-establishes that you've made the right decisions, even more that this is the way things were supposed to be." I nodded, realizing that we both shared the same doubts and assurances in being together.   
  
"Yeah. And Alice... I mean, doesn't it make you feel better? Knowing that Alice moved on and that she's okay-- maybe better--- after all?" I asked. He tightened his embrace around me, and murmured a 'yes'. "And it makes me happy, knowing that I wasn't a reason she would wind up being miserable... that she's moved on after you, you know? So why am I feeling like this?" He pulled away from my neck, and rested his chin on my shoulder, as he talked.   
  
"We ran into Alice today. And the potential to run into Alice, for her to be happy for us is great. But you'll never know how Danny feels, and I think seeing Alice, getting her approval of us, highlighted that," he said, gently and quietly as if he was gauging my reaction as he spoke each word.   
  
I, on the other hand, sat there stunned. Vaughn had always been the person who'd known me better than anyone else around me. He'd always understood, overall, everything. I never imagined that, once the barriers presented by the few things he couldn't know-- such as how I felt for him-- were removed, that he would know me better than myself. Because, he had hit the nail on the head. I'd never regretted meeting Vaughn even before we were together, and I never would. But sometimes, I wondered what Danny would think... and somehow Vaughn knew that. I smiled at him.  
  
"You're amazing, you know that?" I said, twisting taround so I could kiss him on the cheek, as he blushed furiously. "And this right here. It's all the assurance I need that Danny would absolutely approve, because you make me so happy..." I trailed off as I twisted to kiss him deeper. He kissed me back, hard, and I purred my appreciation for this man.   
  
Vaughn was right... I'd rather break some bones than go swimming any day. 


End file.
